Executives for Woolworths in Australia have been regularly manning the tills and stocking shelves in stores. File photo. Photo: PETER PARKS / AFP
Home Depot may have made the news recently for requiring corporate staff to work on the shop floor - but that's common in many New Zealand retail outlets, one retail expert says.
It was reported this week that the US retail giant would require all corporate employers to work one eight-hour shift at a retail store every quarter, starting from the fourth quarter of this year.
"We need to stay connected to the core of our business, so we can truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day," chief executive Ted Decker reportedly told staff in a note.
Chris Wilkinson - head of retail consultancy First Retail Group - said that was common in this part of the world, particularly for big retailers with a presence across Australasia.
"Especially those that see exponential demand around key trading periods such as before Christmas. Woolworths in Australia has done this for a long time and it was especially championed by recent chief executive Brad Banducci who was known for manning the tills and stocking the shelves throughout his tenure.
"It's logical to have management understand the changing dynamics on the shop floor as retail is ever-changing and only by being amongst the action, can decision-makers understand consumer patterns, behaviour and sentiment. In the UK most of the supermarkets and big brands like John Lewis all have their leadership teams in their stores leading up to Christmas for those reasons. Brands like Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum and Mason do this as a tradition and also for the logistical demands these busy times present."
A Woolworths spokesperson said all support office team were required to start their roles with four days in a supermarket when they first began their employment.
"This allows them to understand our customers, meet the team, learn about the business and experience first hand what it's like to work in our stores."
Then, during the key periods like Easter and Christmas, there was a "support in stores" programme, the spokesperson said, where office staff worked in roles like picking online orders, replenishing stock and greeting customers.
"Our support office team really enjoy working in store - it's a great opportunity to deepen their understanding of our customers."